WRXers Scratch Amateur Tournaments Thread: Commitments, Results, etc....

[OffTheDole]

I have developed a completely new move by necessity (back spasms that can send me to the ground). I use the "Gary Player Walk Through" technique, and it's been amazing. I'm hitting the ball even shorter than ever (8-iron is my 130 club. Driver carrying 210 - 215), but I'm scoring fine. I shot 76 on day 1 and had a "pretty amazing all things considered" 1-under 71 on day 2.

 

Sorry to hear about your back but glad to see you've found a workaround.

 

Also of note: Dan Buchner, a 16-year professional who got his amateur status back a year ago, shot 72 on day one, then fired a beautiful 8-under 64 on day two with 7 birdies and an eagle.

 

16-year pro who got his amateur status back? I am not a fan of whoever ok'd that decision.

[vietnameeh]

I have developed a completely new move by necessity (back spasms that can send me to the ground). I use the "Gary Player Walk Through" technique, and it's been amazing. I'm hitting the ball even shorter than ever (8-iron is my 130 club. Driver carrying 210 - 215), but I'm scoring fine. I shot 76 on day 1 and had a "pretty amazing all things considered" 1-under 71 on day 2.

 

Sorry to hear about your back but glad to see you've found a workaround.

 

Also of note: Dan Buchner, a 16-year professional who got his amateur status back a year ago, shot 72 on day one, then fired a beautiful 8-under 64 on day two with 7 birdies and an eagle.

 

16-year pro who got his amateur status back? I am not a fan of whoever ok'd that decision.

 

I believe the rule for regaining amateur status was changed a few years ago.

 

A lot of the top Mid-ams, seniors and super seniors playing these days were former pros. Not unusual

[vietnameeh]

Good Job Obee! sounds like the game is coming in nicely. Ready for the 2019 season!

 

Are the back spasms an on going thing? Is there anything that you are doing to help with it?

 

 

[Ray Jackson]

Plan is to play 10 USGA/NCGA gross events in 2019 Two of them will be fourballs.

 

Was an alternate in 2013 USGA Mid Am and have been lazy ever since getting back to non club tournie golf.

 

Once schedule is final I will post it.

[vietnameeh]

Plan is to play 10 USGA/NCGA gross events in 2019 Two of them will be fourballs.

 

Was an alternate in 2013 USGA Mid Am and have been lazy ever since getting back to non club tournie golf.

 

Once schedule is final I will post it.

 

Nice, I may/hope to see you around. Where in the Bay are you?

 

I haven't done anything significant since 2011-2012 (basically quit after that). I have goals for the offseason to meet before I consider entering USGA/NCGA stuff again. I may get my feet wet again and play some of the local city tournaments (I can't break even or consistently shoot even at my home course yet. That's the goal for now. Monarch Bay is my "home" course)

[b.helts]

Bucky (Dan Buchner) and I went to college together (UCSB). Good dude, good player.

 

Sounds like a fun tournament. What course?

[Obee]

Bucky (Dan Buchner) and I went to college together (UCSB). Good dude, good player.

 

Sounds like a fun tournament. What course?

 

La Quinta resort. Dunes course. Great green complexes. Lots of fun.

[J295]

New to the forum in the last couple of months, and just found this thread. Very cool.

 

I’m not disparaging myself, but I’m nowhere near the level of play of many if not nearly all of you of you participating in this thread. I’ve played non-tournament rounds with high level tournament players and there is a great gulf between their game and mine. That’s just the way it is right now. I am a 59-year-old with a six handicap, trying to get better.

 

My “year” for goal setting runs from November 1 – October 31, and I did set one of my process goals as playing 20 tourament rounds. Tournament for me is loosely defined, because in this mid western cold weather state there aren’t a ton of opportunities, so I include our interclub matches, Senior two-man events, etc.

 

When spring gets here I will check in with my participation. Really appreciate those of you with your enthusiasm and insights sharing with those of us on the same journey, albeit from different starting points.

 

 

[Ray Jackson]

Plan is to play 10 USGA/NCGA gross events in 2019 Two of them will be fourballs.

 

Was an alternate in 2013 USGA Mid Am and have been lazy ever since getting back to non club tournie golf.

 

Once schedule is final I will post it.

 

Nice, I may/hope to see you around. Where in the Bay are you?

 

I haven't done anything significant since 2011-2012 (basically quit after that). I have goals for the offseason to meet before I consider entering USGA/NCGA stuff again. I may get my feet wet again and play some of the local city tournaments (I can't break even or consistently shoot even at my home course yet. That's the goal for now. Monarch Bay is my "home" course)

 

Live in Marin, play Marin Country Club mainly and work downtown SF. Have a 10yr old son who just shot 77 off the forward tees last Saturday so he's my excuse to get to the course/range a lot right now.

 

I've entered the City Championship in Feb and hoping to not have to do pre qual round at Lincoln.

[vietnameeh]

Plan is to play 10 USGA/NCGA gross events in 2019 Two of them will be fourballs.

 

Was an alternate in 2013 USGA Mid Am and have been lazy ever since getting back to non club tournie golf.

 

Once schedule is final I will post it.

 

Nice, I may/hope to see you around. Where in the Bay are you?

 

I haven't done anything significant since 2011-2012 (basically quit after that). I have goals for the offseason to meet before I consider entering USGA/NCGA stuff again. I may get my feet wet again and play some of the local city tournaments (I can't break even or consistently shoot even at my home course yet. That's the goal for now. Monarch Bay is my "home" course)

 

Live in Marin, play Marin Country Club mainly and work downtown SF. Have a 10yr old son who just shot 77 off the forward tees last Saturday so he's my excuse to get to the course/range a lot right now.

 

I've entered the City Championship in Feb and hoping to not have to do pre qual round at Lincoln.

 

You don’t want to play Lincoln park at 6am In February ? Lol jk I did that one year , and I lost a few drives due to plugging

[br61]

Plan is to play 10 USGA/NCGA gross events in 2019 Two of them will be fourballs.

 

Was an alternate in 2013 USGA Mid Am and have been lazy ever since getting back to non club tournie golf.

 

Once schedule is final I will post it.

 

Nice, I may/hope to see you around. Where in the Bay are you?

 

I haven't done anything significant since 2011-2012 (basically quit after that). I have goals for the offseason to meet before I consider entering USGA/NCGA stuff again. I may get my feet wet again and play some of the local city tournaments (I can't break even or consistently shoot even at my home course yet. That's the goal for now. Monarch Bay is my "home" course)

 

Live in Marin, play Marin Country Club mainly and work downtown SF. Have a 10yr old son who just shot 77 off the forward tees last Saturday so he's my excuse to get to the course/range a lot right now.

 

I've entered the City Championship in Feb and hoping to not have to do pre qual round at Lincoln.

 

That's good playing. A good friend of mine's used to be an assistant pro at Marin CC, spoke highly of the club.

[J295]

Question: Do you tournament players go in with the mindset of making pars, or trying to make a lot of birdies?

 

The reason I ask is one of the players at our club was a very solid college player and still a very solid local amateur. He made it to the round of 16 a couple of years ago in the US mid am. He makes a ton of birdies but also can make some bogeys and an occasional double. When I posed this question to him his comment was the good amateur players are out there to make par, and an occasional birdie. And he thought his more “erratic” play was not the typical strong amateur.

 

Just wondering how those here in the scratch and plus world ( especially senior players like myself in the over 50 crowd) approach a tournament round.

 

Thanks

[b.helts]

Question: Do you tournament players go in with the mindset of making pars, or trying to make a lot of birdies?

 

The reason I ask is one of the players at our club was a very solid college player and still a very solid local amateur. He made it to the round of 16 a couple of years ago in the US mid am. He makes a ton of birdies but also can make some bogeys and an occasional double. When I posed this question to him his comment was the good amateur players are out there to make par, and an occasional birdie. And he thought his more “erratic” play was not the typical strong amateur.

 

Just wondering how those here in the scratch and plus world ( especially senior players like myself in the over 50 crowd) approach a tournament round.

 

Thanks

 

I don’t go in with this kind of mindset. I try to hit every shot as best I can. On good days that means a lot of good shots and birdies. On some days it’s a bit harder then you grind out the best score you can.

 

But I always go in with the mindset that I’m going to shoot the lowest round I can, on that day. Some days that is 63 or 67. Some days that is 73 or 75.

 

I have never gone into a round of golf trying to make pars.

[mneumann]

Great thread, nice to read about others trying these big tourneys.

 

Just played the USGA 4 ball qualifier for the second straight year. No delusions of qualifying yet but trying to test our games against the best and we get out on a nice local private track for a couple rounds. As a couple mid-30s dudes with young kids its hard to expect to compete with college kids who play every day.

 

Shot a pretty disappointing even par round with my partner. Took -7 to qualify. We finished around mid pack maybe a little lower.

 

I wasn't very happy with my round especially after playing some good golf in the month or so leading up to the tourney. Had 5 rounds 74 or better in the last month and a 71 the week prior. Came out flat after a frost delay had us sitting around for a long time waiting. 7 over through the first 6 holes. Luckily my buddy parred all 6 of them and I settled down. We bogeyed an easy par 3 right before the turn with a 3 putt and then both birdied 18 to get back to even after a lot of pars.

 

I think the biggest issue we both identified is we just don't test ourselves on these types of courses enough. We play a lot of mens club golf from 6300 yards or so, and when you stretch to 6800-7000 you have a lot less reachable par 5s, and a lot more 5-7 irons into par 4s and 200+ par 3s. Its just tough to give yourself a lot of birdie opportunities unless you are really clicking. And on the 5-6 holes you can get a wedge in your hand you absolutely have to take advantage.

 

Going to commit to replacing some club rounds with some NCGA qualifiers and other local city/county tourneys this year. Biggest issue with the qualifiers is when you get through one, lots of the final tourneys are a 3-4 hour drive away, so its a big time and money suck, but have to figure it out if I really want to step it up.

[vietnameeh]

 

 

Going to commit to replacing some club rounds with some NCGA qualifiers and other local city/county tourneys this year. Biggest issue with the qualifiers is when you get through one, lots of the final tourneys are a 3-4 hour drive away, so its a big time and money suck, but have to figure it out if I really want to step it up.

 

At least you are playing the bigger stuff! I like playing USGA and bigger tournaments knowing I won't win but when you get paired up with one of the better players it becomes a learning experience for me.

 

At this time and with my game I will stick to the local city stuff, unless my game improves to what it use to be (I was a +3, I am like a 4-5 now lol). NCGA qualifiers are great but as you said, when you qualify its in Monterey and usually 3 days which means us "older" guys need to take work off for the Friday and try to get a practice round in the same week (and hope we don't gas out lol)

[ThinkingPlus]

Question: Do you tournament players go in with the mindset of making pars, or trying to make a lot of birdies?

 

The reason I ask is one of the players at our club was a very solid college player and still a very solid local amateur. He made it to the round of 16 a couple of years ago in the US mid am. He makes a ton of birdies but also can make some bogeys and an occasional double. When I posed this question to him his comment was the good amateur players are out there to make par, and an occasional birdie. And he thought his more "erratic" play was not the typical strong amateur.

 

Just wondering how those here in the scratch and plus world ( especially senior players like myself in the over 50 crowd) approach a tournament round.

 

Thanks

GIRs and then let the putts go as they will. If you try too hard to make things happen it usually doesn't end well.

[Ray Jackson]

Agree with GIRs and let the putts roll rather than forcing aggressive lines off tees etc. However there is a natural belief that the birdies will come and so if there is a bogey made early in a round that doesn't increase the pressure

[deadsolid...shank]

Bucky (Dan Buchner) and I went to college together (UCSB). Good dude, good player.

 

Sounds like a fun tournament. What course?

 

La Quinta resort. Dunes course. Great green complexes. Lots of fun.

 

That course doesn’t get a lot of love here, , but I really enjoyed it.

[MattyO1984]

As a couple mid-30s dudes with young kids its hard to expect to compete with college kids who play every day.

 

I feel you! I'm 34 in a few days time and a 7 week old baby and a sore hand has me wondering if I will ever play decent golf again. All I want for Christmas is a hand which feels better and some more time in the day, tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel! Haha.

[mneumann]

 

NCGA qualifiers are great but as you said, when you qualify its in Monterey and usually 3 days which means us "older" guys need to take work off for the Friday and try to get a practice round in the same week (and hope we don't gas out lol)

 

Yep poppy hills for us from the sac area is 3.5 hours on a good day so those multi day finals I'm either signing up for a pissed off wife or a family vacation haha.

 

 

 

I feel you! I'm 34 in a few days time and a 7 week old baby and a sore hand has me wondering if I will ever play decent golf again. All I want for Christmas is a hand which feels better and some more time in the day, tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel! Haha.

 

Theres light man. Mine are 5 and almost 3. The first 2 years after my first one I played my way up to about a 7, and it only took 2 years cause that's how long it took me to get enough rounds in for my old scores to fall off lol. This year I'm finally back down around a 2 and I feel like I can actually play consistent again.

 

Not sure I can help you with the hand thing though. Definitely feel the aches more as time goes by.

[Obee]

Good Job Obee! sounds like the game is coming in nicely. Ready for the 2019 season!

 

Are the back spasms an on going thing? Is there anything that you are doing to help with it?

 

I held them at bay for about four years, but they are back with a vengeance. I have a very long morning commute and I'm sitting more than I ever have. That, combined with advancing age and putting on weight (see the sitting and the commute and less activity) seems to be ... ahem ... not good for the back.

 

Need to get serious about a regimen, but when every work day is a 12 to 14 hour day, it's a bit overwhelming thinking of when I need to exercise.

[Obee]

Okay, just signed up for several tournaments for the year. Let's hear what YOU are going to play in this year!! :-)

 

SCGA Am Qualifier

SCGA Mid-Am Qualifier

SCGA Foursomes

California AM Qualifier

Saved date for U.S. Mid-Am Qualifier

Saved date for U.S. Senior Open Qualifier

Saved date for Kelly Cup (my favorite tournament of the year)

Saved date for The Macbeth (my favorite team invitational)

Saved date for The Cravens (the coolest, most well-run amateur tournament ever. Net, alternate-shot match play. Just an amazing tournament:

 

When I do my qualifiers, I usually choose one of three courses: Rustic Canyon, Goose Creek, Oak Valley. I know them all fairly well. Choosing a course that fits your game and that you are comfortable on is key to qualifying for big events.

 

Let's hear it, guys. What are you playing in??? :-)

[Obee]

I played my absolute best this year... said I was going to play in all these tournaments..... wound up not playing in any of them. LOL

 

Maybe next year..

 

Callin' you out, BP!!! :-)

[Ty_Webb]

I'm planning on playing in:

 

- Ike Qualifier

- Met Am Qualifier

- Met Open Qualifier

- LI Open Qualifier

- LI Amateur

- LI Mid-Am

- Hebron

- Richardson Invitational

- Sarazen Invitational

- Depending on where the US Mid-Am qualifier is and US Am qualifier is i might try to play in these too

- I'll play in a few GolfWeek Amateur Tour events too. They're quite good fun and a couple of decent venues I haven't played at before coming up this year.

- Oh and my favourite event of the year - the Halford Hewitt. Will be playing in that too.

[vietnameeh]

waiting for NCGA to post up the full schedule lol

[Obee]

I'm planning on playing in:

 

- Ike Qualifier

- Met Am Qualifier

- Met Open Qualifier

- LI Open Qualifier

- LI Amateur

- LI Mid-Am

- Hebron

- Richardson Invitational

- Sarazen Invitational

- Depending on where the US Mid-Am qualifier is and US Am qualifier is i might try to play in these too

- I'll play in a few GolfWeek Amateur Tour events too. They're quite good fun and a couple of decent venues I haven't played at before coming up this year.

- Oh and my favourite event of the year - the Halford Hewitt. Will be playing in that too.

 

The invitationals are a blast. We have some great ones here on the West Coast, but I bet there are 5 times as many solid ones on the East Coast.

[Hawkeye77]

As a couple mid-30s dudes with young kids its hard to expect to compete with college kids who play every day.

 

I feel you! I'm 34 in a few days time and a 7 week old baby and a sore hand has me wondering if I will ever play decent golf again. All I want for Christmas is a hand which feels better and some more time in the day, tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel! Haha.

 

34? A puppy!

 

Good news - kids only enhance golf overall!

 

Bad news you youngster is nagging injuries will show up - I had a knee (okay I guess I still have the actual knee) that I fought and let ruin a few seasons before it finally got repaired, now have a nasty case of tennis elbow which really pisses me off - with cortisone now masking the pain, it remains to be seen what I will be dealing with come spring - very, very nervous about that. So thankful I've not had to experience any significant back issues, can't imagine that.

 

Sorry to hear about the hand, hope it gets better!

[MattyO1984]

Most of the competitions here are yet to be open to entries but I have booked into play the 5 Day Open at my Home Club in July.

 

Once the bookings and entry forms become available for the other competitions later in the month, I imagine, I will get on to it then.

 

As a couple mid-30s dudes with young kids its hard to expect to compete with college kids who play every day.

 

I feel you! I'm 34 in a few days time and a 7 week old baby and a sore hand has me wondering if I will ever play decent golf again. All I want for Christmas is a hand which feels better and some more time in the day, tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel! Haha.

 

34? A puppy!

 

Good news - kids only enhance golf overall!

 

Bad news you youngster is nagging injuries will show up - I had a knee (okay I guess I still have the actual knee) that I fought and let ruin a few seasons before it finally got repaired, now have a nasty case of tennis elbow which really pisses me off - with cortisone now masking the pain, it remains to be seen what I will be dealing with come spring - very, very nervous about that. So thankful I've not had to experience any significant back issues, can't imagine that.

 

Sorry to hear about the hand, hope it gets better!

 

Thanks Hawkeye! Thank goodness for my wife's private healthcare after three months of it bothering me and trying rest, anti-inflammatories, ice, every stretch and rub in cream, gel of whatever to try I finally decided to bite the bullet and get an appointment lined up for tomorrow, hopefully that will have me back playing properly soon enough. I was actually saying to my wife that my main goal is to be able to be fit enough to play golf with my boy for as long as possible!

[Ty_Webb]

I'm planning on playing in:

 

- Ike Qualifier

- Met Am Qualifier

- Met Open Qualifier

- LI Open Qualifier

- LI Amateur

- LI Mid-Am

- Hebron

- Richardson Invitational

- Sarazen Invitational

- Depending on where the US Mid-Am qualifier is and US Am qualifier is i might try to play in these too

- I'll play in a few GolfWeek Amateur Tour events too. They're quite good fun and a couple of decent venues I haven't played at before coming up this year.

- Oh and my favourite event of the year - the Halford Hewitt. Will be playing in that too.

 

The invitationals are a blast. We have some great ones here on the West Coast, but I bet there are 5 times as many solid ones on the East Coast.

 

Some of them are amazing. There's the Crump Cup at Pine Valley, I think it's the Travis at Garden City, the Anderson at Winged Foot. Problem is you have to be much better than I am to get invited to play in those (although I did get to play in the Anderson one time).

[MarylandGolfer2018]

MD Amateur Qualifier

MD Open Qualifier

Baltimore Amateur

Baltimore Matchplay

MSGA Pro-Am

Piney Branch Pro-Am

WMGA Amateur

Carroll Country Amateur

US Am Qualifier

Hopefully NCAA Div 3 national championships :taunt: